It was announced on Tuesday that former Penguins 7th defenseman Chad Ruhwedel was hanging up his skates and retiring from the NHL. Ruhwedel was known in Pittsburgh for always being that guy you could rely on to step in for a defenseman that was hurt or needed an off night.
He was someone that you could always rely on to take out his man or occasionally provide a goal when the team needed it most. Ruhwedel may not have been the most flashy player that the Penguins ever had, but he was an important one.
Ruhwedel even got to witness some playoff experience. Ruhwedel is a Stanley Cup Champion and will always have that to his name before anything else. The dude has the right to go down as a Penguins legend and will always have his name in the history books.
Ruhwedel was a loved guy in Pittsburgh and always will be
Ruhwedel may not have been a Quinn Hughes or Cale Makar type player, but he was one that always knew how to play his role and always knew where to be on the ice at all times. He was one that you could look to for advice, could look to for a fight, or could look to for a big hit.
Ruhwedel also was not someone that was always actively trying to score. He was one that was trying to make sure he played defense first and was always trying to follow the puck the best that he could.
Sure, he could chip in a goal from time-to-time, but that was not his primary role. His role was to be that depth defenseman that could slot in for other defensemen whenever they needed him to. His role was to be that stay-at-home guy that occasionally shot the puck,
A lot of times when Ruhwedel shot the puck, it somehow someway found the back of the net. Chad will always be a Stanley Cup Champion with the Penguins and will always mean something to Penguins fans.
Looks like Chad Ruhwedel is, in fact, a goal scorer. pic.twitter.com/L8ZsEungdc
— Pittsburgh Penguins (@penguins) March 26, 2023